PokéUniverse - Sapphire Version
by CooperKid248
Summary: Garnet heads to the Hoenn Region on a secret mission when she splits. Ruby and Sapphire get separated and Sapphire must find her way back to Ruby and stop Team Aqua's plans.
1. Package from Hoenn

**Heya, Companions. CK here. If you are reading this, you are currently reading the Sapphire Version of PokéUniverse. If you are looking for the Ruby Version, go to my profile.**

 **For those of you who are curious, PokéUniverse has two versions. Ruby Version and Sapphire Version. Each story will have a couple of chapters that are the exact same with the rest being focused on the gem it's assigned for. The first two chapters will be the exact same except for a small change. I hope you enjoy the Sapphire Version of PokéUniverse.**

* * *

"There's the starters for the Region. Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. They can evolve into Grovyle, Combusken, and Marshtomp, which evolve into Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert. Oh, but that's not all! There's also Poochyena, Zigzagoon, Wurmple, Lotad, Seedot!" Connie screamed with joy, clutching her Marill plush close. "The Hoenn Region is sooo cool!" Steven smiled as he looked up from the Pokédex Connie handed to him, eyes sparkling. "They're all so cool! Which one did you ask your uncle for?"

"This one." Connie reached over and pressed a few buttons on the Pokédex, revealing an orange fox. "Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon," the Pokédex recited. "Inside Vulpix's body burns a flame that never goes out. During the daytime, when the temperatures rise, this Pokémon releases flames from its mouth to prevent its body from growing too hot." Steven smiled as he stared at the photo of the Vulpix, bouncing up and down on the bed. "Oh, man! That looks so cool! He's gonna catch it, right?"

"Well… I'm not sure," Connie muttered, picking up a blue bandanna from the package she had received in the mail from her uncle. "See, he's a part of a team that only care for Water-Types. Vulpix is a Fire-Type, so he probably won't do it." Steven leaned forth, handing the Pokédex to Connie as he rested his head in his hands. "I don't see why he wouldn't. He sent you all that stuff, didn't he? I'm sure he'd do anything to make you happy."

Connie looked at the box. True to what Steven said, it was jam-packed with Potions, Repels, Pokéballs and Great Balls, along with little trinkets her uncle bought. One was the Marill plush, a Pokémon originally found in the Johto Region. Connie held the plush close, burying her nose in the sea-scented fabric with a sigh. "Even so, he could get in a lot of trouble. Let's… Change the subject. Now, I think if you could have any Pokémon, it'd be this one." Connie pressed a button on the Pokédex, showing a pink cat. "That's a Skitty. It's a Normal Type, but they're really cute. I think you'd like that one and Zigzagoon."

"Are you two ready for bed yet?" Steven and Connie looked up as Garnet walked up the stairs, holding a sleeping bag under her arm. "Oh! What time is it?" Connie looked at the clock, gasping. "Oh, gosh! It's almost midnight! I must've lost the track of time talking about Pokémon!" Garnet placed the sleeping bag down, patting Connie's shoulder as she turned to look at them. "It's fine. We don't want your parents worrying about you."

"Right.. Thank you, Garnet."

"So, what kind of Pokémon do you think I'd have?" Connie looked at the Pokédex, placing a hand under her chin. "Well, I think you'd have a Psychic Type. Something like a Ralts. Depending on the gender, you can either get a Gardevoir or Gallade in the end, though you need a Dawn Stone to get Gallade. Give it to your Kirlia before he's ready to evolve and you'll have one." Garnet nodded, looking at the Pokédex. "It's very cute."

"I wish we could go out there to get them now.. Tickets are expensive right now, but it'd save me the trouble of pestering my uncle for that Vulpix," Connie muttered as she shut off the Pokédex, putting it away with a yawn. "Maybe another time, though. I'd have to tell my parents one month in advance." Steven smiled as he grabbed a blanket from beside his bed, handing it to Connie. "I'd love to see the Hoenn Region. I'm sure we'll get there someday, Connie." Connie smiled up at her friend, nodding as she curled up in the sleeping bag with the Marill in her arms. "Goodnight, Steven."

"Goodnight, Connie! Goodnight, Garnet." Steven laid on his bed, blanket pulled up to his chin as Garnet smiled at him, kissing his forehead. "Goodnight, Steven. Goodnight, Connie."

* * *

Garnet stared out at the sea, looking down at her hands with a sigh. "I know what you're thinking, Ruby. You want to help them both."

"Yes. It wouldn't hurt to go to the Region on our own, right?"

"Without them, yes. We haven't been to the Region since…" Garnet sighed, removing her visor. "I know, but that was three centuries ago. They've learned their lesson. Humans usually do. Nobody would be stupid enough to go after them again." The gem turned away from the ocean, looking up at the house. "But then again, we have not checked on the gems inhabiting the Region in a long time. It wouldn't hurt to go there and look, Sapphire."

* * *

Steven woke with a yawn, rubbing his eye. "Morning, Steven. Pearl and I made breakfast." The boy opened his eyes as he sniffed the air. Connie smiled at him, holding out a plate of pancakes. "Thanks, Connie! You didn't have to do this." Connie smiled, handing the plate to him. "We're friends, Steven. Why wouldn't I do this? Oh, check it! I made your pancakes look like a Skitty head." Steven looked down, eyes sparkling at the pancakes. "Whoa! You did! I guess those pancake tutorials finally paid off!" Connie nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Pearl was going to add strawberries, but they're not in the fridge."

"Whaaat..?! Amethyst must've taken them, but she knows we were going to use them!" Steven frowned, biting off the ear of the Skitty pancake until the temple door glowed and opened. "Pearl! We've got a serious problem," Amethyst shouted as she stepped out. Pearl turned, hands crossed over her chest as she looked at the gem. "I'm aware," she said, speaking in a stern voice. "The strawberries are gone. You know we were going to use those for the pancakes this morning."

"Wha- I didn't take them! Besides, that's not the issue! I was looking through my room when I found this note laying by one of the pools! Look!" She held up a piece of paper, waving it frantically as she approached the counter. "It's from Garnet." Pearl took the paper with her thumb and index finger, holding it up as she read it out loud. "'Amethyst, if you find this note, please let Pearl know that I have left for the…' Amethyst, this is an old note. We haven't been to the Kanto Region since we saw that young boy with the Meowth. Troublesome, that one…" Amethyst looked at the note, shaking her head. "Still, I went to her room and found her gone. She didn't tell us she would be going off on a mission."

"She's probably out finishing up some last minute check ups on the temple rooms or m-maybe she's… Ummm…" Pearl ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. "No, that was put behind us. They learned their lesson…" The gem sighed, placing her hands on the counter as she hunched over. "Pearl…? What's wrong? Where's Garnet?" Pearl looked at Steven, frowning. "Last night, you talked about those Pokémon. What Region were you talking about?"

"Hoenn."

"Hoenn… If she went off on her own, then… Oh, dear."

"Wait, " Connie said, raising a hand. "Are you telling me that gems were involved with the Regions?" Pearl cleared her throat, looking at Amethyst with a frown. "Maybe… It's time you two knew…"


	2. The Road to Littleroot

Garnet stared out the window, leg crossed over the other as she read the pamphlet in her hand. The train had left the station in Ocean Town about half an hour ago, travelling across the beautiful ocean. The gem gripped her leg a little, remembering what happened with Malachite. Thank goodness they found her… Garnet loosened her grip, looking down at the pamphlet again. There were many people today, she thought. Some were from Ocean Town, Empire City, Beach City, and what she assumed were the locals of the Regions she might be passing. She hadn't seen the Region in so long, it might've changed while she was gone. She would've taken the Warp Pad, but the one in the Region was broken. Against her own good instinct, she had broken a few rules to sneak on the train. Steven wouldn't have approved of it.

"Excuse me. May I sit with you, ma'am?" Garnet looked up as a man approached her. He was a very tall man with orange-red hair and a black suit. On his left middle finger was a ring bearing a rainbow-colored stone. "Of course." Garnet sat closer to the window as the man sat beside her, taking out a journal and a small device that she assumed to be a different version of the Pokedex. Different design for different Regions. He opened the journal with a flick of the thumb, the Pokédex lighting to life as it showed a lion with a large red and orange mane as if on fire. 'With fiery breath of more than 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, they viciously threaten any challenger. The females protect the pride's cubs,' Garnet recited to herself quietly. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" The gem nodded, keeping her hands in her lap. She had seen a man with similar looks before, but that was years ago. Surely, he couldn't be related to him…

"Where are you heading today?"

"Hoenn. I haven't been there in a while."

"Mmm. It's a nice Region. Perhaps, if the chance comes up, you can see the Kalos Region. I've heard its beauty is fading quickly." Garnet closed her eyes, hand gripping her leg before placing her other hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, then. If things go the wrong way, it'll get heated quickly." The man raised a brow, shaking his head before looking up at her. "You don't seem to be one for conversation."

"I'm… nervous, that's all. I finally got around to travelling, but it's so… strange." The man nodded, shutting the journal. "I know the feeling. I was visiting these smaller towns to do some research, but it felt strange to be out of Kalos. Once you've been to a place where Pokémon do not roam, you wonder how much of the world doesn't know. Same way with going to a place where they do roam." Garnet nodded, staring out the window. She really didn't want to conversate with him, but it'll pass the time, she thought. She turned to look at him once more, adjusting her visor. "Well, I'm sure one day, everybody will know about Pokémon."

"I hope so as well." The man looked at Garnet, holding a hand out to her. "Lysandre." The gem looked at his hand, taking it carefully to avoid her gem from brushing his fingers. "Estelle."

* * *

Garnet hopped off the train, looking at a map she had in her hand. "If you head out in that direction, you'll hit Littleroot. It's a very small town with only two houses and the Pokémon lab, but if you're looking to pick one up before your journey, that's the best place to get one. It's dangerous to travel the Region without a Pokémon by your side."

"I see.. Thank you, Lysandre. I hope your research goes well," Garnet responded as she picked up a backpack, waving to Lysandre as she went south. The train had arrived to Rustboro City, home of the Rock-Type Gym and the main headquarters of Devon Corporation. Garnet would have to travel past Petalburg Woods and Petalburg City and two Routes to get to Littleroot. It wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for blending in, but there wasn't much time. She would just catch the Pokémon, check on the Orbs, and then leave. Garnet ran across the city grounds, heading for the gate. Rustboro was still very far from Littleroot, after all.

The gem dashed across the lake separating the City and Woods, making a sharp turn as she entered the Woods. She leaped over the small hills that led to the other side of the wooded area, stepping out into the sunlight once again. Garnet hunched over, running a little faster until she ran head first into a person, falling over and hitting the ground with a thud. The thud, to her surprise, was hard enough to separate her into the two gems that made up the fusion.

Ruby sat up right away, eyes wide as she helped Sapphire up. "Oh my gosh, Sapphire! Are you ok?! Did I hurt you?" Sapphire nodded, brushing her hair from her face. "No, no. I'm fine. Are you hurt?" The red gem teared up, kissing the blue gem's forehead. "Who cares?" Sapphire took her hand, returning the loving gesture with a chuckle. "I do." The two giggled, hugging each other tightly before turning to the person they bumped in. It was a young boy with green hair and pale skin. He let out a heavy cough with a hand on his chest, sitting up with a deep breath.

"Oh my goodness. We are so sorry," Sapphire said as she walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ruby hurried to her side, taking out a bottle of water from their backpack, which had been thrown with them when they unfused. "Here. Drink this." The boy opened the bottle with a shaky hand, drinking the contents with a sigh. "Th-Thank you… I-I didn't see you and I-" The boy coughed again, covering his mouth. "Sorry, I don't feel so good."

"Well, here. Keep the water. We can get more later on," Ruby said as she placed a hand on the boy's hand. "We're so sorry about that. We got ahead of ourselves and we didn't see you coming. We hope we didn't hurt you." The boy chuckled, drinking the water slowly. "It's alright. I understand how it feels to get excited about going on an adventure." Sapphire nodded, smiling as the boy closed the bottle. "We were on our way to the Pokémon Lab in Littleroot to pick up our very own Pokémon."

"You don't have Pokémon yet?" The two gems shook their heads. "Well, you better get there quick and try to avoid grassy paths and Trainers. I-I'm Wally, by the way. What are your names?" Ruby smiled, pointing at herself with her thumb. "I'm Ruby and this is Sapphire." Sapphire bowed, keeping her bangs over her eyes as Wally stood. "It was nice bumping into you, Ruby and Sapphire. If you get Pokémon, be sure to battle me sometime, alright?"

"We'll make sure of it," Ruby said as she waved goodbye,taking Sapphire's hand as they walked alongside one another down the path. The two walked through the small town of Petalburg, waving to people that they passed. "So, what do you intend on getting, Sapphire? I'm thinking of something that matches me in a way. Like one of the Fire Types. Fighting Type, too. Oh, oh, oh! Fire AND Fighting!"

"You're so excited, Ruby. It's like you've been waiting for this day," Sapphire joked, giggling at the gem's hype. "Though, it's a good thing. I think,if given the chance,I would like to retrieve a Pokémon that is a Psychic Type. Like that Ralts Connie mentioned. For now, we must pick up one of the many basic Starter Pokémon of the Region. I might take the Water Type."

"Mm. I wonder what it'll be," Ruby pondered as they stepped off of Route 102 and turned to the right, heading south from Oldale Town. They were nearly there. Ruby looked at Sapphire, humming their little tune. The blue gem smiled as she joined in, spinning around Ruby with a chuckle. She turned to the gem, bowing in her direction. Might as well pass the time again."Why, hello. It's quite a surprise to meet you here in Hoenn."

"Well, I come and go. Haven't I seen you before?"

"I don't know. I don't get off planet much." The two broke into a fit of giggles, holding their sides as they arrived to a small slope on Route 101. Ruby climbed down first, reaching her arms up as Sapphire hopped down, landing in her arms. "Gotcha." The blue gem chuckled, holding on as Ruby ran through the Route, hopping over the last two slopes until she reached a small town surrounded by woods. This was Littleroot, no doubt. The red gem placed Sapphire down as they approached the Pokémon Lab, hand in hand. "This is the place. I wonder who is in charge."

"If they're anything like the old Professor from centuries before, then perhaps they might know of us through stories," Sapphire muttered, placing a hand under her chin. "I'll go in first. Will you be alright without me, Sapphy?" The blue gem nodded, placing a cheek on the red gem's cheek. "I will be. Now, go in and get a Starter." Ruby smiled at Sapphire, stepping through the door slowly as it opened.


	3. Sapphire's Starter

Sapphire lifted the skirt of her dress, sitting down as she waited for Ruby. She could foresee what would happen, if she desired, but she'd rather be surprised. She had a feeling it would be worth seeing. The gem ran a hand through the grass, shutting her eye with a sigh. The Region was so… different. Years ago, there was nothing, but Pokémon and people just trying to get by every day. They shouldn't have gotten involved. Because of them, the Region was nearly destroyed. Was there anybody who was descended from the people back then still alive to know who they were? Especially… _them_. "No," Sapphire muttered to herself. "They wouldn't have kids. It didn't seem like something they'd do."

Sapphire looked up, jolting in surprise at the sight of a young child standing right in front of her. The child was wrapped up in a large, green overcoat that reached their knees with little boots, a scarf, and hat. The only thing you could really see of them was their eyes. Sapphire stared, looking the kid up and down. Everything they wore was green except for the mismatched red and blue gloves hidden under the large coat sleeves. "Hello.. Are you lost..?" The kid stared, blinking as Sapphire looked around. Nobody was looking in a panic and she couldn't hear anybody calling out for a kid.

"Where are your parents?"

No response.

"Are you here to get a Pokémon?" The child nodded, eyes lighting up a little. "Hmm.. Aren't you a little warm in that?" The child shook their head, fixing the scarf as they looked around before their eyes lit up once again, running off. "Ah- Wait..! The lab is right- Hang on!" Sapphire shouted, unable to get the kid's attention. They were already gone before she could look around the lab in time. She couldn't foresee where they went. "Where did they go..?"

The gem sighed, sitting down until the door opened. She stood right away, watching Ruby step out with a Pokémon in her arms. "Is that your Starter?" Ruby nodded as she approached Sapphire. The Pokémon looked like a tiny chicken with orange feathers, yellows one decorating the top of its head and the tuft around its neck. The Pokémon chirped, staring at Sapphire as Ruby smiled. "This is Nugget." Sapphire held a hand to her mouth as she giggled, smiling behind it. "Oh my goodness. You can name them now? This is spectacular." Ruby nodded as she placed a hand on the Pokémon, patting its head.

"The Professor seems nice, so get in there and pick a Starter, then we can go on our adventure." Sapphire nodded, stepping into the building. The gem took a deep breath as the door closed, closing her eye for a minute. "Hello. Are you here to get a Starter?" The gem looked up at a man, nodding to him. "You'll want to talk to Professor Birch, then. He's back there." Sapphire bowed, thanking the man as she walked to the back of the lab. Her attention was turned to the two Pokéballs on the table. Ruby had one of them, so now she would have to choose one of the two.

"Hello. Here to get your Starter?" Sapphire turned her attention to another man standing up from a desk. He was a heavily built man with brown hair that had a slight wave look to it and a smile wider than his face. He held the strap of a brown bag hanging from his shoulder, pulling out some papers that he placed on the desk. "Yes. I'm here for a Starter. Are you Professor Birch?" Birch nodded, approaching Sapphire.. "I am. You must be with that Ruby girl outside. Is your name Sapphire, by any chance?"

"Umm.." Sapphire gulped, unsure what to say. "It's fine. You don't have to be afraid of me. Your friend told me- Umm.. D-Do you need help getting out of that ice?" Sapphire looked down, noticing the patch of ice that had formed at the base of her dress. "Oh! I-It's fine, I got it." The gem lifted the dress a little, breaking parts of the ice as she stepped from the ice patch. "Sorry about that."

"It's quite alright. I can fix that up later. So, you're here for a Starter, right? We have two right now. Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon, and Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon." Sapphire approached the table picking up the Pokéball on the right. "This one. Mudkip, right?" Birch nodded, watching the gem let the Pokémon out the ball. It looked like a small puppy, but more aquatic than a normal puppy. It turned to face Sapphire, its tail fin wiggling a little as it squeaked at her. "Seems she likes you!"

"Yes." Sapphire got on one knee, holding out a hand as the Mudkip walked up to her. The gem picked the Pokémon up, smiling at it. "I'm going to call you Brook." The Mudkip beamed, squeaking as it nuzzled its face into her neck. "Boy, she REALLY likes you. You must have some kind of charm with Pokémon." Sapphire chuckled, patting Brook on the head as she nodded. "I've had some experience with Pokémon before, but I've never seen one become so affectionate so fast."

"The world of Pokémon is strange, but that's why we're still studying it. We want to discover all the secrets to finding the perfect life for both humans and Pokémon. Well, in this case, humans, Pokémon, and gems." Sapphire looked up, nodding as she bowed to Birch. "Thank you for the Starter, Professor. I hope your research goes well." Birch smiled, patting Sapphire on the shoulder. "Of course. When you and your friend get the chance, come by anytime. I want to learn more about you gems."

"Certainly. Goodbye," Sapphire called out over her shoulder as she walked towards the door. She stepped outside, turning to face Ruby. "Look what I picked, Ruby." Ruby looked at the Mudkip, watching its tail fin wiggle as it squeaked in excitement. "I've named her Brook." Ruby nodded. "Ahhh, a water name for a Water Pokémon. That's very clever, Sapphire. So, we got a Torchic and a Mudkip. I can't wait to see them Evolve!" Sapphire nodded, smiling as she held out a hand. "Let's get going, then. We have a long journey ahead of us if we're going to get to Mt. Pyre." Ruby chuckled, taking Sapphire's hand with a smile. "You think they're still there?"

Sapphire looked down, closing her eye. "I'm not sure. I can't seem to foresee anything. One of them is wandering about, but I can't see which one." The gem nodded in response, gently tugging on Sapphire's hand. "Let's get going, then," Ruby said as they walked to Route 101, Pokémon held close.


	4. Emeline

"Stop right there!" Sapphire turned as two Trainers approached them, a Pokéball in each hand. "We want to battle you!" The two gems nodded, placing Nugget and Brook down. The two Trainers backed out, throwing the Pokéballs forth. Two Pokémon popped out, standing side by side as they let out a cry. The first looked like a brown raccoon with a face you could never say no to. The other looked like a grey wolf pup with striking red eyes. Ruby and Sapphire looked at one another, nodding they stood behind their Pokémon.

"Nugget, Scratch the Zigzagoon!"

"Brook, Tackle the Poochyena."

"Zigzagoon, use Tail Whip!"

"Poochyena, Growl!"

The four Pokémon leapt into battle with Nugget making the first move. The Torchic used his talons to scratch the Zigzagoon, who retaliated by smacking him in the face with its tail. Brook tackled Poochyena down, only to back up as it growled at her. The four finally backed away from one another, all staring at each other. Ruby bit her lip, trying to think of a good strategy while Sapphire simply stared. Sapphire closed her eye, keeping a Pokér face as she saw the match ending in two turns if all went well for them. She waited as Ruby called out an attack before adding in. "Scratch the Poochyena, Nugget!"

"Tackle the Zigzagoon, Brook."

"Zigzagoon, another Tail Whip."

"Tackle, Poochyena!" The four Pokémon leapt forth again, Brook making the first move this time. The Mudkip tackled the Zigzagoon, knocking it off its feet for a moment as it retaliated with a Tail Whip. Nugget scratched at Poochyena, chirping. The Poochyena raised a paw, tackling the Torchic down. As the Pokémon started to back up, the two gems shouted their next attacks as the Trainers gave their Pokémon a blue colored berry. The Zigzagoon and Poochyena were ready as Nugget and Brook leapt forth, Scratching or Tackling them. The two Pokémon stumbled before falling over.

The Trainers returned their Pokémon, eyes wide at the two gems. "You two are really strong..! You should battle the gyms!" Sapphire looked at Ruby, smiling as her little chuckle. "Ah, we'd love to, but we're only here for a couple of days or weeks to help a friend."

"And we can't delay for too long." The first Trainer nodded, placing a hand on his hip. "Well, alright. Consider battling the gyms if you get the chance, though. It's worth it. Here. Take this. For having a good battle." Ruby and Sapphire held out their hands as the two Trainers each give them a few dollar bills. "Use them to get some Potions and maybe a couple of Pokéballs to catch more Pokémon. Have a safe trip, you two." Sapphire nodded, waving to them as Ruby gave a farewell. The gem looked down at the money, holding out a hand as Ruby reached over and took it, walking alongside her. The two looked at one another, smiling as they entered the next town.

Petalburg City was a small town, surrounded by two lakes. Sapphire couldn't recall if they were ever there before. They didn't get to see much of the Region back then. Sapphire looked at Brook as she trotted beside them. This time, they were ready to face any Trainer that would come their way. "I hope we see that kid again. Wally, I believe his name was. He was so nice," Sapphire chirped, as they entered a building with a blue roof. Ruby chuckled, nodding as they started to approach the counter. "Me, too. I feel bad about knocking him over like that. I really hope he's ok."

The gems came to a stop, staring as the cashier handed five purple bottles to a young girl. Her green clothes weren't hard to recognize. "Ah, it's you!" shouted Ruby and Sapphire. The girl turned to look at them, eyes widen as she started to place the bottles in her bag. "Wait, you've met her, Ru…," Sapphire stuttered, seeing a slight sparkle in the girl's eye. Something about her was setting her off, but she couldn't see what. "Ru… Rebecca..?" Ruby nodded as Sapphire stared at the girl. "I did. While I was waiting for you at the lab. She ran off, though."

"So did I.." The girl shuffled her feet, rubbing the back of her neck. Her coat seemed to bulge at the chest until the top popped open and a Pokémon stuck his head out. It was a green gecko with big yellow eyes. The gecko tilted its head at them before shuffling back into the coat. "That must've been a Treecko. You must like Grass Types." The girl rubbed her arm, nodding with a very quiet chuckle. She stepped back, gesturing to the counter with a small grunt.

"Oh. Thank you." The two approached the counter, looking at items on sale. Perhaps they could split their money and get each other the needed items. Ruby placed her money on the counter, pointing at the Pokéballs as Sapphire placed her money down beside her. "I'll take four of those, please."

"And I'll get 6 potions, please." The cashier nodded, grabbing four Pokéballs and six Potions, placing them on the counter as he took the money and handing back what remained. "Thank you for your purchase. Have a great day." Ruby grabbed the Pokéballs, handing two to Sapphire as she was given three of the bottles. "S… Sophie, where's the bag?" Sapphire frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. They just had it moments ago. Unless they lef it behind. No, Sapphire was certain they brought it.

"I thought you had it." Ruby placed a hand on her head, frowning. "Oh, no..! We must've left it when we bumped into that kid earlier..! Dang it..! We're going to need something to put these in." The girl tapped their shoulders, holding up two small bags. They were red and blue with either a black or white trimming. She took the items and placed them in each bag before handing it to the gems. "Wow, thanks. You uh… You bought these, right?" Ruby muttered.

Sapphire watched the girl shake her head as she held a hand up, placing her thumb and index finger together and did a little wave motion. "Oh, I see. You made these. The craftsmanship is truly spectacular. Don't you agree, Rebecca?" Ruby nodded. Sapphire pulled the bag on, lookign at it over her shoulder Ruby spoke up. "Yeah! And they fit nicely, too! Thank you so much, uh… What's your name?" The girl kept her hands over her scarf as she spoke, her voice very quiet. "Emeline."

"It's nice to meet you, Emeline. Thank you for the bags." Emeline nodded, closing her eyes as she wrapped an arm across her chest. The Pokémon in her coat chirped as she walked to the door, waving to them. "Bye, Ruby. Bye, Sapphire." Sapphire gasped quietly, hand over her mouth as the girl stepped out, disappearing once the doors closed. "Did she... No, that's impossible. How did she know our names?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm.. Maybe she was nearby when we ran into Wally, but we must hurry along. I have a bad feeling something will happen if we don't get to Mt. Pyre," Sapphire muttered as she took Ruby's hand. Brook cried out, nudging Sapphire's skirt while Nugget chirped. "Let's heal them first. I think there's a Pokémon Center nearby. We'll rest there for a bit and then be on our way."


	5. Team Aqua

Ruby stood close to Sapphire as they got on Route 104, right where they bumped into Wally. The gem mumbled quietly, turning a rock over to look underneath. "It's gotta be around here somewhere. I really do hope Wally's ok.. We didn't even see him coming." Sapphire chuckled, patting the gem's shoulder. "I know. We were so focused on getting to the Lab." The two sighed before Ruby dropped Sapphire's hand and turned to look at her, Nugget bobbing his head on her shoulder. "I just realized. Why haven't we fused back together yet? There's nobody around to see it happen."

"You have a point. Though, our Pokémon don't know that. We should fuse before them, so that they know it's still us." Ruby nodded, holding a hand out to Sapphire until they heard two voices. The gem turned on her heel, eyes wide as two people picked up a bag from the ground. "Hey, it's our bag! H-Hey, excuse us!" Ruby shouted as she ran towards them. Sapphire looked up, seeing a vision before her. She gasped, holding a hand out. "Ruby, wait!" She watched Ruby come to a stop, staring at the two people.

Sapphire held Brook close, unable to pick up what they were saying, but one was pointing at one on the left suddenly jumped back, patting a part of his sweater as the the one on the right threw a Pokeball, letting a blue bat with no eyes out. Sapphire saw what would happen, covering her mouth as she took a step forth to help.

"SAPPHIRE, RUN!"

Sapphire stiffened, surprised at Ruby's sudden shouting. She looked at Brook as she ran, heading down the path to Petalburg Woods. The gem huffed, trying to keep her dress from catching onto low branches as she climbed up a small hill in her path. She knows it'll be impossible, but she had to get as far away as possible. Sapphire made it to the top, leaning against a tree to catch her breath as Brook cried out. "I'll be alright, Brook. Don't worry about me." The gem huffed, looking around. The woods seemed very different from when she came through the other side.

"Hmm.. Maybe the exit is… Ummm.. N-No..? I can't… I-I can't see the path.." Sapphire muttered, holding a hand to her head in confusion. She was usually good with figuring out situations like this, but she felt lost without Ruby. She closed her eye, trying to foresee what to do until Brook nudged her head, suddenly crying out to catch her Trainer's attention. "One moment, Brook. I can't see the path. I need to focus." The gem looked up, hurrying down a path in front of her as Brook rested against her chest. "I think I've found it."

"Hey, you! Stop!" Sapphire stiffened, picking up the skirt of her dress as she hurried around the U-shaped path. She tried to avoid the grass in the path, feeling Brook squirm in her arm. "We're almost there, Brook..! Hang on..!" The gem came to a stop, turning as Brook hopped out of her arm. The Mudkip cried out, spraying a jet of water behind them. Sapphire watched as a man came to a sudden stop, the jet of water hitting him in the chest as he falls over. Beside him was a girl, her eyes wide as she stared at Sapphire.

She was wearing a blue and white striped shirt that showed her midriff and gray shorts, a black belt tied around the waist. Tied around her dark hair was a black bandanna with a white 'A' in the center. The girl stared at Sapphire, her gaze lowering a little. "Your hand… You're one of them." Sapphire quickly placed her right hand behind her, taking a step back as Brook cried out. "We can't hold them off for much longer, Brook. We have to run!" The Mudkip turned to her Trainer, nodding as she hurries over. Sapphire returns her to her Pokeball and lifts her skirt again, running through the grass as the girl chases after her. "Get back here!"

Sapphire came up to the exit of the woods, turning to look at a pair of bushes blocking a separate path. Maybe she could hide behind them. The gem approached the bushes and placed a hand on it, trying to push past it. The branches wouldn't budge at all. Sapphire stood up straight, levitating off the ground as her skirt billowed. She looked over her shoulder as she floated over the bush, landing behind it. The girl came around the corner, frantically looking around as she threw a Pokeball out. A Poochyena popped out, barking as she shouted. "Come on out! I have no intention on hurting you, I promise!"

Sapphire held the Pokeball close, listening carefully. The gem closed her eye, trying to foresee a way out. The only thing she saw was darkness, but she wasn't sure why. "There you are." The gem's eye snapped open as she started to turn and face the voice behind her. As she did, the person reached both arms out and grabbed her, having a tight grip on her until she poofed, leaving her in darkness.

* * *

"-her like that, Matt?"

"I'm sorry, it was an accident. I was not aware of how fragile their bodies are."

"It's not your fault, Matt. You couldn't have known."

"Shelly's right. These notes are very old, so none of us could've known. It doesn't even say how fragile their bodies really are." Sapphire opened her eye, squinting as a bright light met her gaze. She sat up, looking around as she tried to take in her surroundings. She was sitting on a small table in an office. In front of her was a small hallway and a small doorway on her left where a few voices could be heard. Whoever was in here must sure like blue.

Sapphire slid off the table, landing quietly as she turned. Her Pokeball was right there on the table. The gem picked up the Pokeball, letting out Brook as fast as possible. The Mudkip turned to face her, letting out a squeak as she scooped it up, holding a finger to her mouth. "We have to be very quiet, Brook. Let's find a way out of here." The gem started to turn to the hallway until the voices to her left picked up. "Somebody's here…"

Sapphire looked around the office, trying to find a place to hide until she spotted the couch. She hiked up her skirt and hurried behind the couch, keeping quiet as she looked around the corner to watch. Three people came through the doorway, looking around the office until one of them, a woman, looked at the table. "The gem's gone..!" Sapphire scooted behind the couch again, holding Brook close as as she watched. The woman had long black hair that reached her waist, two bangs dyed a bright blue. Her uniform was very different from what the two people out on the field was wearing, especially with the lack of a bandanna.

She turned to face the two that followed her, frowning as one of the men pointed down the hall. "Shelly, Matt. Go find it. Report back to me as soon as possible." The second man and Shelly nod, hurrying down the hall as the second man sits on the couch. Sapphire stiffened up, trying to steady her breathing as ice started to form at the bottom of her dress. The gem looked down, frowning as she tried to chip the ice away quickly. As she picked at the ice, something nudged her from behind, using enough force to push her out of the ice and from behind her hiding spot. The gem immediately stood, ready to run to the hall until something wrapped around her waist, picking her up. "Put me down! Put me down this instant!"

"Alright." Sapphire fell on the couch, sitting up right away as she held Brook close. She turned to face her 'captor', eye widening from behind her bangs. Sitting beside her was a man with dark tanned skin and brown eyes. He wore a blue and white wetsuit, a few holes on the left arm, and a large chain around the waist that held a ragged cape in place. The notable things, Sapphire thought, was the blue bandanna with the white 'A' and the golden anchor around her neck that bore a rainbow stone. Sapphire didn't feel scared around him, but she wasn't entirely confident with his presence.

"What have you done to Ruby? Where is she?" The man sat up, crossing one leg over the other as he looked at her. "Now, I don't know who this 'Ruby' is, but I can assure you, kid, that we have done nothing to her. We don't even know who she is." Sapphire frowned, standing up as she raised her voice. "Then where am I?! I want to leave! I'm going to find my Ruby and we're going to leave as soon as possible!"

"Calm down, Sapphire. Yer' makin' a bit of a scene." The gem fell silent, glaring from behind her bangs as the man stood. "Come now. No need to make such an angry face. We poofed you by mistake. Honest words from an honest man." As he walked to the table, Sapphire frowned. "How do you know my name?" The man looked up, holding a folder in his hand. "Well, I'm not an expert on gems, but this sketch I have here in this folder looks a lot like you."

"Sketch…?" The man sat down beside her again, opening the folder to show a very old sketch. "See?" Sapphire stared, slowly lifting her bangs as she looked. "This Sapphire… She was terrifying. She used her abilities to… Where did you get these…?" The man closed the folder, putting it down as she leaned back on the couch. A large black and grey dog came around from behind the couch, wagging its tail as it placed its front paws on the man's legs. "They have been in my family for a long time. We've kept these safe. Look, after today, I understand if you don't trust us, but we need your help."

"What could you possibly need my help with? I don't even know who you are."

"Ah, right. How rude of me," the man muttered with a chuckle. "I'm Archie, leader of Team Aqua. We've been tryin' to help the Region for a while, but after learning about you, we need as much help as we can get. Hoenn's fallin' apart because of Magma and because of them, people and Pokémon are in danger. So, as the Leader, I'm asking you to join us to stop Magma from taking over." Sapphire looked down, letting her bangs cover her eye once again as she thought it over. She didn't know much about Archie or Team Aqua and she had a mission to complete with Ruby. They were supposed to go to Mt. Pyre, perhaps talk to Connie's uncle if they ever found him, and then go home. Simple as that.

The gem sat up, looking at Archie as he held out a hand. 'That's it,' she thought. 'I'll go to Mt. Pyre to find the gems, but I'll go with THEM. I'll gather information, if I have to' She held out a hand, taking Archie's as she shook it, nodding to him. "I'll join your team, Archie."


	6. Sapphire's Dream

Sapphire adjusted the bandanna of her uniform, making sure her bangs stayed over her eye. She didn't want to really frighten anybody. Surprisingly, the uniform was just her size. Like they had been expecting her. As Sapphire fixed the bandanna, one of the admins approached. She looked up at him, having to tilt her body to look at his face. His name was Matt, as she had figured from the conversation Archie had with him before she was sent to get a uniform. It wasn't hard to tell who were admins, especially with a man like him. He stood out very much.

The man barely wear a uniform aside from the pants, boots, and gloves. From what Sapphire could see, it looked like it was a full suit at one point, but with muscles like that, it wouldn't surprise her if it ripped because he flexed. The thing Sapphire found interesting was the large 'A' painted on his chest. He looked down at her before getting on one knee to be at her height, removing the bandanna and putting it back on. He pulled on the small bow in the back, a smile on his face. "There you go."

"Thank you." The admin nodded to her, standing up as he turned. "Follow me, Sapphire. Boss wants me to give you a Team," he shouted eagerly, already leading the way. "Just a couple of rules, too. Boss ain't picky on what you call him, so call him what you want. Just about the entire team calls him Archie, but I call him Bro. Now, if you lose in a battle, no hard feelings in losing. You might lose a rank and that'll suck. My bro just might promote you if you do really good in a battle, though. One last thing. If you're seen speaking with anybody from Team Magma, you'll probably end up with the lowest rank we have or you'll be kicked off the team. Got it?" The gem nodded to him as she followed closely, looking around. The base was pretty big, but Sapphire had an idea on how to get around. It'd probably be a lot easier with Ruby around. She was starting to get for her. The gem frowned, looking down until Matt stopped and turned to look at her.

"Here, this will be your team. I'll have to ask you to not use your Mudkip while battling as an Aqua Grunt," he said, patting her on the hand. Sapphire nodded, keeping her gem out of sight as she stared at Brook's Pokéball on her belt. She looked up as the admin handed her three Pokéballs and waited for her to attach them to her belt. "You'll be sharing a room with all the other Grunts. Just find an empty bed and make yourself at home." Sapphire bowed to the admin, walking to the warp pad on the other side of the room. She wasn't really sure she could call it a warp pad. Teleporter pad, maybe? It was similar to the warp pad back home, but these were limited and only went as far as the pads in the base.

The gem stood on the pad, arms held over her chest as she's transported to another room. The room she was in was filled with beds that were lined up evenly, blue sheets adorned. Sapphire walked past most of the beds until she approached one in a corner. She looked under for any items or Pokéballs, finding none before looking over her shoulder. She looked up at the bed, floating up and landing on the mattress. Sapphire looked down, avoiding the looks some of the other Grunts were giving her. She would give anything just to see Ruby again. She was certain that Ruby was probably holding in her anger to prevent any accidents.

Sapphire took a deep breath, relaxing a little. She needed to calm reached down and took Brook's Pokéball from her belt, letting her out. The tiny Pokémon cried out, approaching Sapphire and nuzzling her hand. "Hello, Brook. It's been quite a day, hasn't it?" The Mudkip nodded, curling up beside Sapphire with a yawn. "You're right. We should rest." The gem laid back, petting Brook as she dozed off.

Sapphire stared up at the ceiling, her eye starting to shut. She didn't need sleep, but her eye felt so heavy… "Just one second… One second is all I need," she mumbled, shutting her eye. She was ready to wake up until she felt herself drift.

* * *

" _Ruby!"_

" _Sapphire!"_

 _Sapphire turned as Pearl ran to her, swords out to the side. "Sapphire, come on! We need to hurry to Mt. Pyre! Those idiots have unleashed this horrible weather!" The gem nodded, standing close to Pearl as she is picked up. The gem leaped over the waves that started to rise, barely skimming the edge of the boiling water. Sapphire watched the waves rise and fall, the rain clouds high above clearing up for the sun to shine through. As the sun's rays shined, the water started to boil again and the two gems could see a few plants starting to burn up. "It's getting worse. We're almost there, though!"_

" _Hurry, Pearl!" Pearl landed on a small mountain that starts to crumble when the waves hit, taking the leap towards the large mountain before them. The gem lands at a cave entrance, helping Sapphire through first before following after her. Sapphire looked around, seeing piles of gem shards scattered throughout the cave. Pearl frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort. "We'll take care of them after this is over. Let's go." The two gems hurried up a flight of stairs that started to crumble, popping out through a hole at the top of the mountain._

 _Sapphire gasped, hurrying towards a large structure at the top with Pearl right behind her. A pillar holding it up came crumbling down, nearly hitting Sapphire. The gem stopped, gasping as Pearl picked her up again and leaped across the ruined mess. Rose was already there and she could hear Ruby shouting. "Sapphire, we must stay with Rose. It's too dangerous to go inside." The gem shook her head, looking at Pearl. "I have to go in. Ruby is in there."_

" _Sapphire, get behind my shield!" Sapphire ran in, eye wide in shock as she ignored Rose's plea. The ceiling of the structure was destroyed, the sun's rays shining in until the rain came pouring down. Standing inside were two men, each one staring up as two very tall figures held their hands high above their heads. Sapphire stared at them, fists clenched. They were going to stress their bodies out if they kept that up._

 _The gem picked up a rock, grunting as she flung it at them. One figured held up her hand, catching the tiny rock and squeezed it between her fingers until it glowed bright red like her eyes. The rock crumbled, pieces flying as Sapphire turned to one of the men. He wore a dark blue trench coat covered in holes, a large sword hanging from the belt along his waist and a bandanna keeping his long hair in place._

" _You! Please stop! This isn't what you want, I know this! She is using you to get HER world! You mustn't give in! You have to STOP!" she shouted as the grass beneath her feet was covered in a thin layer of ice. The man turned to face her, eyes glowing a bright blue and yellow. Sapphire stepped back, feeling something in her stop. 'They can't possess such a power,' she thought. 'This is impossible.' The man reached into his trench coat, touching something that glowed to life the moment his fingers grazed it. Sapphire watched as he slowly pulled his arm out, holding something she never thought of seeing in her life._

"Sapphire!"


	7. The Blue Orb

"Sapphire!"

"Sapphire!" The gem woke up, eye wide as she sat up. "No, stop!" she shouted, hand out as she tried to grab at air before looking to her right. "Oh.. Did you need something, sir?" Archie stepped back, arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at her in worry. "Is something the matter?" The man sighed, shaking his head. "No, but some of the grunts came in with complaints. Said you were screamin' your head off in your sleep. Are you alright?"

Sapphire blinked, seeing Brook nuzzle her face with a sad cry. She reached a hand up, rubbing her face. It was wet with tears. She had been crying in her sleep. The gem quickly rubbed the tears away. "It's fine.. Just a bad dream, that's all." Archie sighed again, shaking his head. "I know you don't want to worry us, but you're a part of the team. Like it or not, we look out for one another unlike Magma. Be lucky you're with us and not them. They're strict. They'd break you for showing any kind of emotion. They're not good people."

"But neither is Aqua, correct?" Sapphire asked, keeping her voice low. The man nodded, shrugging. "We have our differences. What they want is land. What we want is sea. We want people and Pokémon to live together in harmony, but their way is stupid. It could kill thousands of people. Now, come on. We have a mission on Mt. Pyre." Sapphire's eye lit up as she sat up, saluting to him. "Of course, sir! When do we head out, sir?"

Archie gave a hearty laugh, patting her shoulder. "You're ready to take on any challenge, aren't you? You'll be heading out right away with Shelly and a few grunts. You four will distract anybody there until I get there. Got it?" Sapphire nodded. "You got it, sir. Is there anything else I need to know?" Archie nodded, holding up a folder. "This has all the information you'll need. If you need to, take a little time to study it."

"Of course."

"Now, I know Matt said not to use your Mudkip, but I'm giving you the O.K. to use her in battle in case you need her. Just this once, alright?" Sapphire nodded, hopping off the bed as Brook followed her. "Of course. Thank you, sir."

* * *

"Grunts, move out!" Shelly shouted as the two grunts split up, one going upstairs and one staying on the floor ground to keep people distracted. The woman turned to Sapphire, nodding to the side as they followed the grunts going upstairs. Sapphire looked around, keeping her head low, so that they couldn't see the frown. She remembered the mountain was practically overflowing with thousands of gem shards. Like in the dream. To them, it probably meant nothing, but to Sapphire, it was like watching people you knew and loved die right before them.

Sapphire stopped, staring at one of the tombstones. It was a very old tombstone, the edges decorated with gem shards. Rose found it wrong to bury them, so they made them a part of the tombstones of the fallen Pokémon and their Trainers. Sapphire's gaze fell on a newer tombstone and saw the edges decorated just like the old one. Whoever took care of the dead here must've decided to take the shards left behind and continued what Rose did. The gem looked up as Shelly stopped at a tombstone, getting on one knee. "Shelly, are you alright?"

"Yeah, keep going. The new recruit and I will catch up in a moment." The grunt looked at Sapphire, sneering a little before hurrying ahead. Sapphire approached Shelly, looking at the tombstone. It was embedded with blue gem shards, some forming a heart shape in red at the top. Shelly ran a hand over the stone, so Sapphire couldn't read the name at first. "Was this somebody you knew, Shelly?"

"Yeah.. My grandmother.. She passed away a few months ago, right after a trip to a far off place where no Pokémon live. I don't know why she went, but when she got back, I stayed with her until she passed away. Archie and Matt were there to comfort me. It's hard to lose family, you know?" Sapphire nodded, staring at the shards. "I do know. Shelly, do you know why the tombstones are decorated with gem shards?"

Shelly looked up, brushing her bangs from her face. She had very pretty blue eyes, Sapphire thought. "My grandmother used to say it had to do with a 300 year old war. I don't know what it was, though. Were… Were these gems your family?" Sapphire shook her head, placing a hand on the tombstone. "As you know, I'm not like a human. I can live for thousands of years. Where I came from, you had a place. You're created with a purpose. Until one gem stood up against our leaders. Thousands of gems followed her example. So many were lost over the years. These gem shards… They were here 300 years ago. Rubies, Sapphires, and Emeralds. They were everywhere. They were somewhat like family to me. Until two gems, a Ruby and a Sapphire, were created. They were different. Something… happened. They got out of control a-and they destroyed every gem here. It was terrible."

"They killed off their own kind?" Sapphire sighed, nodding. "In a way… In the end, my leader, Rose Quartz, could not bear to see the shattered gems of those who brought no harm. People died, too. Rose took the shards and, with each Pokémon and Trainer that was buried, shards would be decorated on the tombstones. After everybody was buried, we had so many shards left over. The rest were left with the people taking care of this mountain. It seems they still carry on what Rose did."

"So, it's like burying your own dead with us. Crystal guardians to watch over our deceased loved ones." Shelly muttered, running a hand on one of the shards. "... If you want to see it like that." Shelly nodded, standing up as she looked at Sapphire. "Come on. We've got a job to do." Sapphire nodded as she followed Shelly up the stairs, shielding her eye once they make it. The top of Mt. Pyre was no different from what it looked like 300 years ago aside from the once large structure that stood tall now crumbled away.

Sapphire looked around until she saw a familiar figure step away from the grass, holding a Pokéball in their hands. "Matt, what are you doing here?" Matt looked up, quickly putting the Pokéball behind his back. 'Ah, Shelly! I didn't know you were going to be here! When did you get here?" Shelly raised a brow, hand on her hip. "Just a few minutes ago. Boss sent us to get the Orb. Did he send you to do the same thing?"

"Ahhh, no. I-I came out on my own to visit my great grandfather," Matt mumbled, looking away. "You guys have a mission, so go do it. Don't disappoint my bro!" Shelly chuckled, patting Sapphire on the shoulder. "Right, then. You heard the man. Let's not disappoint the boss." Sapphire nodded in response, following Shelly up the ruined stairs. "He's clearly not here to see family."

"What makes you say that, Shelly?"

"His great grandfather didn't live in Hoenn. He passed away in another far place. Matt moved here years ago. Something to do with family, I think. He doesn't talk about it." Sapphire blinked, looking down as she pondered over this knowledge. "Why lie to us? If you know he's not here to visit family, why did you act like you didn't know?" Shelly shook her head, brushing her bangs over her face. "We have our secrets. Matt, while he doesn't look like the kind of guy to have any, has his own secrets as well. If he wants to tell us something, he'll tell us."

"Right…"

"It's here." The gem looked up, staring at a pedestal in the middle of a ruined building. On the pedestal was a blue crystal that glimmered in the sunlight. Sapphire could see something inside, but she couldn't make out what it was. Shelly took out what looked like a headset and placed it on. "Sir, it's still here. Want me to retrieve it?"

Sapphire stared, stepping forth as she got a better look. It looked like a smooth orb within, which made Sapphire a little uneasy. It looked like it was crystallized, but what could've caused it to look like what it did now. Shelly removed the headset and stood beside her, hands on her hips again. "Archie will be up here in a moment. What do you think, Sapphire? Beautiful, isn't it? It's going to help us, I tell you."

"What happened to it? What does it look crystallized?" Shelly shrugged, looking down at her. "Nobody knows. Supposedly, it was a smooth orb thousands of years ago. Maybe it had something to do with your gem people?" Sapphire shrugged, looking down. "I don't know. I… I think I need to sit down for a moment," she muttered as she sat down, hands to her head. It didn't make any sense to her. Why were they like this? These orbs, she could tell, were filled with so much power. It was like they're trapped away, but the crystal prison didn't look stable.

"Shelly! Sapphire!" The gem stood up, turning as Archie approached. His gaze fell on the orb and his eyes lit up. "There it is… The Blue Orb… It looks different, but this is the same orb." The man approached, slowly reaching a hand out. His fingers grazed the top of the orb, causing him to pull away when it glows to life. Sapphire stared, pushing her bangs away in shock. "What… happened..?!"

"Archie..?" Archie turned, her eyes glowing a faint blue until it faded off. "What?" Sapphire blinked, frowning a little as he walked up to them. Shelly took a deep breath as Archie started to walk by, turning to face him as she speaks. "You go ahead. I need a little more time here." Archie nodded, turning to Sapphire with a small grin on his face. "Let's go."

* * *

Sapphire looked at the wall with a sigh, petting Brook to comfort herself. Team Aqua had the Blue Orb now, and she could only wonder what they'd need it for. She had a peculiar feeling that she knew the answer already, but she didn't want to believe it. The last she saw the Orb in use, it was to awaken a powerful Pokémon. One of unspeakable power. She tried to forget that moment, hoping she would never have to witness it again, but it seemed history would be repeating. Sapphire shook her head, hopping off her bed.

"Mudkip?"

"We need information, Brook.. I need to know what they are up to. I have a bad feeling I already know the answer, but I have to be certain."


	8. Sapphire's Findings

Sapphire entered the office quietly, holding Brook close as she looked around. She took a deep breath and approached the desk, placing a hand on one of the drawers. She didn't have much time, so she'd have to be quick. Archie could come in at any second if she wasn't careful. The gem opened the drawers of the desk, looking through each one carefully. Papers, a few books, a folder containing what looked like letters and many old papers. If she had the time, she could look for the orb, but her best guess was that he had it on him. She picked up the folder carefully, placing it on the desk as she opened it. It was full of documents that dated back at least three hundred years ago.

Brook blinked as she placed a foot on one paper, crying out quietly as she continued to tap it. "What is it, Brook?" Sapphire asked, looking at the paper. It was the drawing of the Sapphire she saw earlier, looking down at Brook. "This Sapphire… She nearly destroyed this place… I'm glad she's no longer a threat."

"Mud..?" Sapphire reached for a stack of papers held together with a paperclip. The first paper was nearly ripped to shreds, only showing a sketch of a man. He wore a large coat and tricorn hat, part of a bandanna sticking out from underneath. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't remember why.. The paper was attached to a few old documents, some written in hasty handwriting. The documents were addressed to somebody whose name started with an A, but it was blotted out with ink. Most of the documents stated crimes committed against the region and its people, all with the same name blotted out.

Sapphire grumbled, putting the papers aside while Brook nudged the rest in the folder. The Mudkip looked up at Sapphire as two envelopes came into view, one marked with an 'M' and the other closed with a wax seal. The gem blinked as she picked up the envelope with the 'M', turning it as she opened it. She removed the letter from inside, unfolding it carefully.

 ** _Archibald,_**

 ** _Ever since the prison escape, I've stayed low here in the Sky Tower. I cannot stress how hard it is to live on so little, but I am glad that I am alive. However, I must ask you for a favor in return of what I did. I have met another one. She means no harm to me and seems to protect a third powerful Legendary that seems to roam the Region. I want to bring her with us when we leave this Region. To teach us what we must know to stop people who made the same mistakes we did. When you are ready to leave, we will be waiting for you here._**

The name at the bottom was blotted out, but she could read a distinctive 'M'. Seems like a lot of people like to blot out names on these things. Whoever 'M' was, he might've been the other man she saw on Mt. Pyre. Sapphire stared at the name at the top of the letter, suddenly recognizing the sketch. The man was Captain Archibald Shimizu, one of the first men to travel from Region to Region. He was highly feared by many, often hunted down by admirals. Now she knew why Archie seemed so familiar.

Sapphire sat back on the couch, shutting her eye as a memory came back to her.

* * *

 _Sapphire gasped as Archibald pulled a glowing orb from his coat, looking down at it a if it were a newborn child. "No… Please, no…! Stop it! Captain, you mustn't use its power any further!" The Captain ignored her pleas as he looked up at her, walking past the man beside him. His eyes glowed brighter as he approached the gem, baring his teeth. He looked like an absolute monster. Sapphire backed up into a wall, hands held close to her chest. She couldn't get through… She'd have to fight, but she couldn't bring herself to hit him, especially in this state. The orb glowed to life, markings appearing across his face as he started to speak._

" _Sapphire." The gem felt a sudden jolt of fear, eye wide. It was his voice,but she could hear two more voices. A deep monstrous one and one that was similar to her own. It was the other Sapphire's voice, she could tell. She was controlling him somehow. Sapphire watched as Archibald started to look down, grip tightening on the orb. He make eye contact with her, raising his arm up over his shoulder. He was going to try and shatter her! "Wait, no! Stop! Think about what you're doing! The world will only be flooded if you continue down this path! Just ignore her!"_

" _Sapphire!" A sudden shout caught her attention as she looked up, eye wide. A spear launched across one end of the building to the other, striking the man's coat sleeve. The spear pulled him down and stuck into the ground, pinning him in place as he screeched. It was the most inhuman scream Sapphire had ever heard. She mustered up all her courage and dashed forth, wrapping both hands around the orb as she tried to yank it from Archibald's hands. She could feel the orb pulsing, as if it was alive. She tightened her grip until it was free from the man's grasp, holding the orb high above her head. "I'm doing it to help you!" she shouted, tossing it down at the ground in hope it would shatter._

* * *

Sapphire snapped her eye open, staring at the sketch of Archibald. She wasn't sure what happened after that. Everything had gone dark when she tossed the orb. She had woken up a few hours after the incident, only to find Hoenn was safe. Archibald had finally been caught and hauled off to prison, awaiting his sentence. It would've been a death sentence for all the crimes he had done throughout the regions. She hadn't heard anything else about him ever since. Sapphire looked through the rest of the letters, some being from who she believed was a lover. The rest were from other enemies who had caught wind of his capture, most of them filled with death threats.

"There has to be more…"

"Mudkip!" Brook trotted to the room next door, tapping her feet on the floor as she gazed at her Trainer. Sapphire shut the folder and walked over, looking around. The room consisted of a bed, a potted plant and a table, but nothing more. "Brook, search around. There must be something nearby." The Mudkip walked towards the bed, laying on her stomach as she stared. Sapphire hurried over and sat beside her, brushing her hair away to get a better look. She spotted a laptop with the charger sitting on top of it and reached under the bed, pulling the device out.

The gem sat on the bed, pulling Brook up with her as she opened the laptop and started it up. A lock screen popped up, earning a sigh from her. If Pearl was here, she'd get in with no problem. Brook looked at the keyboard and raised a tiny foot, gently placing it on different keys and hitting the 'Enter' key. The lock screen disappeared and showed a neatly organized desktop. "Amazing! Brook, how did you know?"

"Mudkip!" Sapphire smiled, pecking Mudkip on the head. She was a smart Mudkip. Sapphire turned to the laptop screen and scanned the different folders. Each one had a name, very few under the name 'New Folder'. Sapphire clicked open one marked 'Schedule' and looked at the contents. It was filled with nearly thousands of files each with a name, a number before each one. It was a list of Grunts by rank, Shelly and Matt at the very top. Sapphire hovered the mouse over the search bar and entered her name until only one file popped up. She clicked it open and studied it.

The file was a monthly schedule, each day marked with a task for her to complete. Most were marked with 'Patrol' or 'Scavenge'. Sapphire closed the file and the folder, opening a new folder marked 'History'. Thousands of folders marked with names and numbers popped up again, Shelly and Matt still at the top. Sapphire searched her name again, clicked the file, and studied again. It was small notes of her time there. The time she arrived, the grunt and Admin who brought her in, the time she joined, all that stuff. She closed the file again, looking at each folder for clues.

"Mudkip! Mudkip!" Brook cried out, pointing a foot up at a folder on the screen. Sapphire turned her gaze to it, seeing the folder marked 'Archie'. A bit odd to have a folder under your own name. Sapphire opened the folder, finding more folders inside. Each one was filled with several files. Sapphire opened one marked 'History' and scanned through it. It was filled with news articles and résumés, some catching her eye. She opened up one résumé that was for a team she hadn't heard the name of in a long time. A team stationed out in Kanto and sometimes Johto. Archie looked awfully young in the photo, so it had to be an old résumé. One news article talked about incidents in cities like Saffron City and Fuschia City, the photo in the articles showing a blurred outline of a man with a Sharpedo like grin leaving the scenes, a red 'R' on his shirt.

Sapphire sighed in frustration, clicking out of the folder. "We could be here all night looking for answers and we don't have that kind of time." Brook blinked as she stared at the screen, lifting a foot to point again. Her gaze fell on the new folder, reading the name. 'Sapphire'. Aside from the name, something about it was strange to see and it stood out from the rest of the files. Sapphire opened the folder, finding only one other folder inside. She clicked on it and gasped in surprise. It was full of news articles, but they looked centuries old. Why weren't these in the folders on his desk? They talked about Archibald again, judging from some of the titles. Maybe it would give her a little more insight on what happened.

The articles ranged from raids he had conducted to sightings in other Regions. Some spoke of an Admiral who seemed to be his greatest enemy, sort of like Team Magma was Team Aqua's enemy. Sapphire clicked on a news article titled 'Failure', already getting a bad feeling from opening it.

 **' _HOENN IN RUINS: INFAMOUS PIRATE FINALLY CAUGHT_**

 **" _We knew he could destroy homes and Regions, but not like this." These are the words reporters heard from Professor Alexander Birch, Hoenn's Pok_ é _mon researcher, after asked what Captain Sebastian Stone had to say on the matter of Hoenn's most feared enemy. Five days ago, a sudden drought and storm took over Hoenn, where folks are still recovering from the destruction. Admiral Maxime Rituko was arrested on the site where the catastrophe started, stripped of his rank and held in prison. He was released last night._**

 ** _In the midst of releasing the former Admiral, Captain Stone returned to shore from one of his archaeological digs. The captain was followed by Captain Archibald Shimizu, locked in chains. "He saw our ship and tried to escape, but fate favored us that day. We have made a terrible discovery on the way back." stated Captain Stone._**

 ** _Captain Shimizu was involved with former Admiral Rituko's actions in destroying the Region. "The lady in blue and red were responsible, not us. We had no clue," Shimizu told Captain Stone while returning to Hoenn. "Had we known they had such power, we would've stopped them."_**

 ** _Currently, nobody is certain what the motive for the destruction of Hoenn was. Shimizu's sentence is yet to be decided, though Hoenn has raised their voices to give him a public execution._**

Sapphire closed her eye, feeling a tear form as she rubbed it away. "We should've come here sooner.. Maybe… Just maybe…. We could've stopped them. Saved those men… I..." Brook frowned, nudging Sapphire's arm and crawling into her lap, nuzzling her Trainer's face. Sapphire sniffled and hugged Brook with one arm, shaking her head. "What's been done has been done…" Brook nodded, watching Sapphire close out of everything and shut down the laptop. The gem hopped off the bed and placed the laptop back, stepping of the room. Her eye fell on the folder she had left out as she walked over and picked it up. "We're going to need this. He won't miss it."

Brook wiggled out of her grasp and grabbed a folder that looked similar to the one in Sapphire's hand, placing it in the drawer they retrieved it from and closed it with her tail. "Mudkip!" Sapphire smiled, pecking her on the head as she picked her up and headed for the exit. "Let's get going, then. I have to find Ruby."


	9. Reunion

Sapphire strolled down the road, looking down at Brook to check on her. The Mudkip was trotting by her side, head high and a little skip in her step. Sapphire smiled a little, looking down at the folder in her arms. With the information inside, she'd have to find somebody to trust with it. For now, she had to find Ruby. "I wonder how she's doing… I haven't heard anything about her since we split up."

"Mudkip..!" Sapphire nodded, keeping her eye on the path. Her first stop was going to be Mauville City. The last time she was there, it was a small thriving town. Not a whole lot happened during those times, but it was a beautiful place to visit. She wondered how much had changed since then. Sapphire smiled a little, thinking about all the things she could probably do there. From there, she might head to Slateport if she had the time. It was a small town right next to the ocean. She looked down with a small smile, remembering the first time she and Ruby arrived to the region with Rose and Pearl. The ocean was very beautiful.

"Mudkip! Mudkip!" Sapphire looked up as they approached a large city, picking up the Mudkip as she stared. "This is Mauville City? My goodness, it looks like a shopping plaza. It's very nice," Sapphire stated, smiling at the sights. "So pretty, too. Steven would probably like this place." Sapphire took a deep breath and entered the city, looking at her surroundings. There were Pokémon Move shops and a Bicycle Shop, people going in and out each shop with a smile on their face. Sapphire looked as one kid left the Bicycle Shop, carrying a bike by her side. It was a nice looking bike, too.

"Mud!" Sapphire looked up as they approached a doorway leading to a large yard in the middle of the city. A large structure caught Sapphire's attention as she slowly approached. As she started to read the plaque, a slight movement caught her eye. Her attention turned up as her eye widened. It was a large Pokémon, its metallic body shining in the sun. Beside the Pokémon was a man with blue hair and a black suit, talking to a small child sitting on a bench. Sapphire gasped, recognizing the child immediately and started to wave. "Ruby!"

Ruby looked up, eyes wide as she spotted Sapphire. "Sapphire…?," Ruby got to her feet, eyes wide. "Sapphire!" Ruby grinned, waving back as she ran from the bench with her arms out. Sapphire started to run to Ruby, a grin on her face as Ruby's eyes teared up. "Come to me!" Sapphire ran as fast as her legs could take her, unable to contain her happiness. "Ruby!" The two met in the middle, arms wrapped tightly around one another. "I thought I lost you when I ran into the woods…" Ruby chuckled quietly, rubbing her eyes as she kissed Sapphire on the forehead. "I'm fine now. Are you ok?"

"Yes, but… Ruby, what are you wearing?"

"Huh?" Sapphire looked at Ruby, placing a hand over her mouth." She was wearing a dark red sweater with a light red hoodie over it. The hood bore little horns along with a big 'M' on the chest. Ruby looked up at Sapphire, gesturing a hand to her. "I have to ask you the same thing, Sapphire."

"This is the uniform I have to wear. This group, they call themselves Team Aqua." Ruby's eyes widen, letting go of Sapphire as she stared. "Aqua..? They captured you?!" Sapphire nodded, looking up at Ruby. "And what about you? Is this uniform for Team Magma?" Ruby nodded, looking down. "Yeah..! They captured me while I tried to stop them.. I-I'm sorry, I couldn't stop them." She pulled a hand away, rubbing her eye to rid herself of tears. "I'm so sorry, Sapphire…" Ruby sniffled quietly, keeping her face low. "Ruby…" Sapphire lifted Ruby's head up, brushing her bangs away to look at her. "You wanted to be sure I was safe, Ruby. It's not your fault."

"But you still got captured..!"

"While this is true, it has given me an advantage. Here, look at these, Ruby." Sapphire held up the folder in her arms, watching Ruby stare in surprise. "That looks like the one I found in Maxie's office..! Where did you get this one?" Ruby hovered her hands over the folder, looking at Sapphire as she nods. She took the folder in her own hands, holding it up.

"The leader of Team Aqua, Archie, had it in his office. Did your leader have the exact same one?"

"Sort of. I have a feeling the folders both contain different information," Ruby said as she opened the folder. Her eyes fell on one of the old sketches, holding it up. "Is this…?" Sapphire nodded. "I'm starting to think these two teams are more connected than we think they are." Sapphire fell silent, staring at the folder. "Ruby, who is this?" Ruby looked up at the man, looking quite surprised.

"Oh! Err, Steven. This is Sapphire. Sapphire, this is Steven Stone." Sapphire looked up at Stone, letting her bangs fall over her face as she held up a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Steven." Stone smiled and took her hand, shaking it. "Nice to meet you as well, Sapphire. You're a gem, too?"

"That is correct."

"You gems are just fascinating. Ah, you chose a Mudkip, huh?" Sapphire nodded, crouching to pat Brook on the head. "Yes and she's protected me a few times." Ruby smiled, patting Nugget on the head as he approached. "Say, I have an idea, Ruby! You said you wanted to train your Torchic. How about you and Sapphire train together? I've got a few more Trainers who will probably help you."

"What do you think, Sapphire?" Ruby asked, watching her pick up Brook carefully. "I like the idea. Let's give it a try. Who are the other Trainers?" Stone chuckled, patting the two on the shoulders. "You'll see..! Now, come along. Wattson agreed to let us use his Gym to help you all train." Stone led the two gems through Mauville City, approaching a building with a few signs that had announcements written on them. Standing outside the door was a man with white hair, wearing a yellow suit and a Hawaiian designed shirt. "Wattson!"

"Ah, Stone! I was just about to look for you! You had me quite shocked when you disappeared!" Wattson laughed at his own joke, looking down at Ruby and Sapphire. "And these are?" Stone smiled, gesturing a hand to each gem. "This is Ruby and this is Sapphire. They'll be training with the others. Thank you again for letting us borrow you Gym to train."

"It's a pleasure to help! Well, Ruby and Sapphire. I hope you're ready to go in there because once you do, you'll be training until you faint like your Pokémon. Think you can handle it?"

"We're ready for anything, sir!"

"You'll be shocked with how hard we train." Sapphire grinned as Wattson laughed again, opening the door. "Alright, then! Get in there and meet your opponents, then!" Stone escorted the gems inside, approaching the middle of the Gym. There were four other people there, all kids with their own Pokémon by their side. Sapphire recognized the girl, remembering her from the bike shop. Beside her was a boy who was brushing a large leaf on his Pokémon's head. Beside him was Wally and a fourth trainer who started to wave excitedly. "Ruby! Sapphire!"

"Emeline!" The gems shouted in unison, smiling as they approached. "You're here to train, too?" Emeline nodded, giggling as Treecko climbed out her trenchcoat. "Yep! After that little play battle we had in Mossdeep, I thought about training to help Treecko." Emeline looked at Sapphire, gasping excitedly. "Ah, Sapphire! Ruby told me she was with Team Magma to gather information." Sapphire giggled, smiling as she patted Emeline on the shoulder. "I saw. And as you can see, I'm with Aqua."

"Mr. Stone, can we really trust them? They're in uniform," the girl asked, looking at the two gems in concern. "Of course we can, May. Wally and Emeline know them. Ruby, Sapphire. This is Brendan and May. Brendan is Professor Birch's son and May is the daughter of our new Gym Leader Norman. He's out in Petalburg City." Ruby and Sapphire smiled as they nodded to Brendan and May. May looked at Sapphire, holding ahand out as the gem took it. "It's nice to meet you, then. Sapphire, right?"

"That is correct. I saw you by the Bicycle Shop earlier."

"Oh, I think I saw you there earlier! I was afraid of saying anything since you were in uniform." May chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "I look forward to battling you, Sapphire. I think you'll be a wonderful opponent." Sapphire smiled, nodding to her as the six Trainers stepped back, forming a small circle. Stone stepped into the circle, looking over each one of them. "Alright, then! The six of you will be training against one another in order to make each other stronger. Usually, this strides from traditional Pokémon training, but if what Emeline has told us is true, then we have to work together."

"What Emeline said…?" Stone nodded to the gems, gesturing a hand to Emeline. "She came to me when I got here to Mauville, telling me that both teams had a hold of the Orbs. In time, they'll be on the move and will be awakening either Groudon or Kyogre." Sapphire looked at Ruby, seeing an uneasy look on her face. "How does she know they have the Orbs?"

"I didn't.. I had a feeling they did. You're a part of the teams, right? Have they said anything?" Ruby looked down, shaking her head as she rubbed her arm. "Maxie didn't say anything.. Though, I have this feeling he already has it. If that's the case, we're in trouble." Ruby looked at Sapphire, frowning as she looked down. "When I went to Mt. Pyre with the Team, there was only one Orb there. Archie took it already and… Something happened…"

"It's true, then. Emeline, do you have an idea where the Pokémon could be located?" Emeline shook her head. "I don't, but knowing what these Pokémon are capable of, there's a chance one is in the volcano and the other is somewhere in the ocean. Stone nodded, placing his hands on his hips. "Then we don't have much time. Ruby, I want you to train with Brendan. Sapphire, train with May. Emeline, train with Wally. In a few minutes, I'll switch the teams up, so everybody has a fair fight against one another. Is everybody ready?" Sapphire looked at Brook, watching her stand tall. "I'm ready."

"Take a spot in the Gym and start Training!"


	10. Matt's Secret

_Three days later_

Sapphire patted Brook on the head, smiling at her. "Wonderful job, Brook!" The Pokémon nodded, crying out in excitement as she started to change form. Sapphire watched with a smile as her Marshtomp evolved right before her. The Evolution faded and Brook was a whole new Pokémon. May smiled, holding up her Pokédex as it read out an entry. "Swampert predicts storms by sensing subtle differences in the sounds of waves and tidal winds with its fins. If a storm is approaching, it piles up boulders to protect itself."

"How amazing!" Sapphire exclaimed, grinning up at Brook. The Swampert nodded, nudging Sapphire's face lovingly. "You did wonderful, Sapphire!" May said, patting her on the arm. "Thank you, May." Sapphire smiled, scratching under Brook's chin. She turned her attention to Ruby, smiling as she watched her pet her Pokémon. Stone approached Ruby, giving her a bracelet and a stone. She wasn't sure what the stone was for, but Nugget seemed curious as he turned it in his hand. Stone turned and walked towards Sapphire, smiling at her. "Wonderful job on Evolving your Pokémon, Sapphire. She's Evolved in Swampert. This is Mudkip's final form," Stone said as he pulled a stone and bracelet from his pocket. "With Swampert fully Evolved, you can use these."

Sapphire took the stone and bracelet, turning the items in her hand. The stone was light blue with an orange stripe in the center. "What is this, Mr. Stone?" Stone smiled, gesturing to the stone. "It's called Swampertite. It can help Swampert Mega Evolve. The stone was light blue with an orange stripe in the center. "What is this, Mr. Stone?" Stone smiled, gesturing to the stone. "It's called Swampertite. It can help Swampert Mega Evolve. Test it out when you get the chance." Sapphire nodded, putting the bracelet on her left arm as she held the stone up to Brook. "Look at that, Brook. With this, you'll be able to Mega Evolve." Brook took the stone in her hands, staring down at it as she tried to cradle the tiny item carefully. May smiled, taking Brook's arm and placing a matching bracelet on. "Here. It'll hold the stone for you, Brook."

"Oh, thank you, May..! It looks wonderful on her..!" May nodded, helping Brook place the Swampertite in the tiny hole on the bracelet. Brook stared at the new bracelet, nudging May gently to thank her. "You're welcome, Brook." Sapphire grinned, patting Brook with a smile. She turned to look at Ruby, seeing her talk to the boy. It felt great to see her again, but she knew it wouldn't last long. They would have to head back to their Teams and they were running out of time. "May.. These past three days were quite fun, but I'm afraid I'll have to set out very soon."

"I understand, Sapphire. Hey, if you ever need to train some more, just contact me. Sorry for doubting you two earlier." Sapphire shook her head, smiling a little. "It's fine, May. You and your Swampert take care, alright?" May nodded, smiling back as she took Sapphire's hand and shook it. "We will. You take care as well." Sapphire nodded back, approaching the door as she turned to look to the right. Ruby stood beside her, looking back at her. "Well, I guess this is it. Until this is over." Sapphire nodded, turning to look at her. "You be safe out there, alright?" Ruby tried to nod, but couldn't move. She bit her lip as she held a sob before throwing her arms around Sapphire. "I'm afraid of leaving you again." Sapphire looked down, wrapping her arms around Ruby. "Don't worry about me. In time, it'll be over and we'll be together again. Now, go. Team Magma will be wondering where you are."

"I'm sure Team Aqua is thinking the same thing."

"Ruby, Sapphire! Wait!" The two gems looked up as Emeline approached, placing a hand on a Sceptile that looked much like Brendan's. "What is it, Emeline?" Emeline dug into her pockets, pulling out a few pieces of candy with bright blue wrappers. "I want you to have these. They're Rare Candies. They help your Pokémon level up to become stronger."

"Oh, thank you so much, Emeline." Sapphire watched Ruby take a few pieces for herself before taking the rest, placing them in her pocket. "I have some business to attend to, but if either of you need me, you'll find me near Pacifidlog Town." Ruby nodded, holding her arm out. Emeline smiled and hugged her first, then Sapphire. "Be safe, you two!"

"We will be! And thank you for the training, Mr. Stone!" Ruby shouted as she and Sapphire stepped out, holding hands when the door closed behind them. "That was so much fun..! I can't wait for Steven to finally visit the Regions himself." Sapphire nodded, turning to look at her. "Let's not forget why we are here, Ruby. We must check on the third gem, but before we do that, we must stop Aqua and Magma. I'm starting to fear that they will be on their way to awaken Groudon and Kyogre."

"I know, but don't you worry. I'll make sure Maxie doesn't wake up Groudon," Ruby said with a smile, kissing Sapphire on the forehead. "Just be sure Archie doesn't wake Kyogre." Sapphire nodded, returning the kiss to her beloved. "Good luck, Ruby." Ruby nodded, holding Sapphire in a hug before letting out and heading for the north of Mauville. Sapphire watched her go, giving a sad smile before hurrying off to the eastern wall. She hurried across the river separating the Routes, thanks to Brook learning Surf, which made it easier than floating across when nobody was looking. The two hurried through Fallarbor Town, Routes 120 and 121, arriving to Lilycove City. "We made it."

"Sapphire!" Sapphire looked up, seeing Shelly hurry over to her. "Shelly, is something wrong? You look worried." Shelly shook her head, pushing her bangs back as she tried to catch her breath. "Boss has been looking for you. That, and I was wondering if you had seen Matt. You were gone for three days and Matt said he would go out to look for you." Sapphire gulped, looking at Brook. "I haven't seen him. I-I've been training for a bit a-and…"

"Training? That's why you were gone for three days? You had the lot of us worried! And now Matt's missing!" Sapphire frowned, looking down. "I-I'm sorry.. Had I known it would've worried you, I wouldn't have gone off. Is there a way we can find him?" Shelly looked down, frowning a little as she tried to think. "I was going to contact him through my earpiece, but I found he left his in his room. Like he knew what he was doing." Sapphire bit her lip, placing a hand under her chin as she looked up at Shelly. "I can see him returning to the base. He should be here in just a moment."

"What do you mean? How do you know this?" Shelly questioned, raising a brow in confusion until a cry from above caught her attention. He tilted her head up, spotting a large purple bat with two sets of wings coming down. The Pokémon landed beside her, crying out as Matt hopped off with a grunt, turning to pat the Pokémon. "And where have YOU been, Matt?!" Matt held up a Pokéball, returning the Pokémon as he spoke. "I was out. Doing some personal errands."

"You said you would be looking for Sapphire!"

"And I was..!" Sapphire noticed a bright stone in his hand, pushing her bangs aside as she pointed. "Matt, where did you get that?" Matt looked at Sapphire, holding up the stone as Shelly quickly snatched it from his hand. "This is a Fire Stone.. The only place I know where you can get these are from the Fiery Path under Mt. Chimney and the house on Route 124 just east of here, but you need a few Red Shards to get them. Matt, were you by the Fiery Path?"

"Ahh, no! Don't be ridiculous, Shelly! I… I ran into this kid who was in trouble. He was stuck,so I helped him. He gave me the stone to thank me." Shelly sighed, shaking her head. "You always had a way with kids.. So, when you helped him, you couldn't find Sapphire and decided to come back." Matt nodded, taking the stone back. "It was starting to get late and the boss would've killed me if I stayed out much longer."

"I'm sorry I had you all worried," Sapphire muttered. "Had I known, I wouldn't have stayed too long to train." Shelly looked at Sapphire, frowning a little as she sighed. "No, no. It's fine. I'm treating you like a child here.. I'll go tell the boss the two of you are alright.. Next time, tell us where you are." Shelly turned and walked through Lilycove, muttering to herself as Matt looked down at the stone. "That was close…"

"You didn't get that from a kid, did you?" Matt shook his head, turning his attention to Sapphire. "No. I picked it up during my search. Where were you? I searched all over Hoenn for you." Sapphire fell silent, looking up at Brook. "I went out to train.. I didn't realize it would cause such a problem." Matt nodded, looking at Brook. "It caused a bit of a scene. I told my bro I'd be looking for you and… Ah, I let myself wander a bit. Sure, we get to go around Hoenn, but there are some places we're not supposed to go to."

"You need that stone for something, don't you?" Matt looked down, falling silent before sighing. "Can you keep a secret? I don't know you that well, but you seem like a trustworthy person." Sapphire nodded, sitting down by Brook with a small smile. "Tell me whatever you want." Matt sat down in front of her, holding out the Stone. "There's somebody I know. Somebody who I care about a lot. In a few days, their birthday is coming up and I want to make it their best birthday. The gift I had in mind required a Fire Stone and like Shelly said, there's only two places to get them. The Fiery Path and a small house off the coast of Lilycove. You had to give the man living there a Red Shard to get a Fire Stone. Thing is, I don't know where to find one and I don't have much time. The Fiery Path is right under Mt. Chimney for people who can't get through the desert path on Route 111."

"What's so special about the Fiery Path?"

"It's a good place to get Fire Stones, but Mt. Chimney is where Team Magma is hiding. I snuck in and got a Stone, but I was spotted. One of their Admins was out there, waiting for me. I ran as fast as I could. I shouldn't have gone. They'll be more alert this time." Sapphire nodded, placing a hand over the stone. "They couldn't have known you needed it for your gift. I'm sure an Aqua Admin grabbing Fire Stones is quite suspicious, but if they knew what you were doing, I'm sure they'd understand."

Matt frowned, closing his hand around the Stone. "They wouldn't… Aqua and Magma have their differences. They want to expand the landmass, but it'll ruin lives for people and Pokémon. I'd know. I've seen places where people were miserable and where Pokémon never roamed. It's awful. I know you're trying to see things from a good perspective, Sapphire. Things are different for you, I can tell. You're not used to see these things, I bet."

Sapphire looked down, her voice caught in her throat. She looked back up, frowning as Matt rubbed a hand over his face. "When you're put in a world where things are different, you're still you. You think differently from others, act differently from others. Hoenn is a very strange place. Any place that's far from home usually is." Matt chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he held the Stone close. "Look at that. The strongest and probably the most respected member of Team Aqua, babbling away like we're best friends."

Sapphire chuckled, standing up as Brook nudged her arm. "Your secret is safe with me, Matt. We should get back. Archie will be wondering where we are." Matt grinned, standing up as he held out a hand to her. "You're right..! Wouldn't want to miss out on the greatest moment in history, I'd say." Sapphire frowned a little as she took his hand, returning Brook to her Pokéball. "What do you mean, Matt?" The Admin looked down at her, brow raised. "You haven't gotten the word yet? It's time..!"

"Time for what..?"

"Time to awaken Kyogre."


	11. Kyogre

**Heya, Companions. Quick update. I'll be taking a quick break from PokéUniverse. I've fallen behind on writing chapters and I need a little time to write them. For further updates, check my profile for when PokéUniverse may return. Thank you all for enjoying PokéUniverse and for your patience.**

* * *

Sapphire turned to look at Matt as they made their way to the sub. She looked up at the Admin, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. "So, do you know what is going to happen?" Matt nodded, looking down at her. "Yeah. Boss says it'll create more ocean for the Region. To help people and Pokémon."

"But how?"

"He says Hoenn used be more of an ocean based Region and people's lives seemed to be a lot easier. I don't know if it's really true or not, but I believe what my bro says. I owe a lot to him, Sapphire." Sapphire nodded and looked down, taking a deep breath again. "Nervous? Don't worry, Sapphire. After today, Hoenn is going to be a much better place. I promise you."

"I know, but I'm starting to worry. What if it doesn't work?" Matt raised a brow, chuckling quietly as he shook his head. "What are you talking about? Of course it'll work, Sapphire..! If my bro wasn't certain, we wouldn't be trying to awaken Kyogre." Matt stopped before the sub, gesturing an arm to the open hatch. "Boss wants you to come along. Need help?"

"It's alright. I've got it," Sapphire said as she stepped into the hatch before turning to look at Matt. "Are you coming along?" Matt shook his head, crossing his arms. "I have to stay here and make sure nobody can stop us. You be careful out there, alright?" Sapphire nodded,smiling a little."I will. I hope you're able to get that Fire Stone to your friend." Matt smiled, nodding to her as a Grunt hopped in beside Sapphire. "We're ready to set out. We'll be back once we're finished," the Grunt said, walking past Sapphire.

"Safe travels out there." Sapphire waved to Matt as the hatch started to close, watching him smile back until he turned. She could've sworn he started to glare when he turned away. Sapphire walked further into the sub and sat down in a chair by the window. "Sapphire." Sapphire turned, looking up as Archie as he sat down in a chair that overlooked her chair and two others. "Yes, sir?"

"When we find Kyogre, I want to speak to you privately."

"O-Of course, sir…" Sapphire looked down, turning her right hand over to look at her gem. She was running out of time at this point. In just moments, Kyogre would be awakened and she didn't have much of a plan. If Ruby was with her, they could probably get back together as Garnet and show Archie not to mess with Pokémon of legend. A good plan, Sapphire thought, if she had planned ahead. She had the ability, so why not look forth to see what would happen now? Sapphire took a deep breath and closed her eye, gazing into the future.

 _She hunched over on a rock in the middle of the ocean, hands resting on her forehead. She couldn't see anything aside from heavy rain and a bright sun. A tower stood before her until a hand touched her shoulder. "Come on, Sapphire! Wallace said it should be here!" Sapphire looked up as Ruby took her hand and ran into the tower, hopping over crumbling pillars to get to the top. "Ruby, look out!" Sapphire screamed as she tugged Ruby away before a pillar fell over, nearly crushing the two. "That was too close. Are you alright, Sapphire?"_

" _I'm fine. Are you alright?" Ruby nodded, looking at the broken pillar. "It's getting worse by the minute. Let's hurry." Sapphire nodded and took Ruby's hand, hurrying up the ladders that led to the top floor. A sudden downpour of rain struck down from the exit, smacking both gems in the face until the scorching sun burned through. Sapphire nodded to Ruby, running through the doorway that led them to a flight of stairs. "We're almost there!"_

 _The two hurried as fast as they could before the storm could pick up again, hopping over rubble scattered across the stairs. They reached the roof, gasping at the sight before them. A young girl stood in the center, holding a hat onto her head. The storm picked up once as a heavy wind blew past, practically throwing the child off her feet. The large coat she wore billowed in the wind as she started to turn to Ruby and Sapphire. As she turned, a large bolt of lightning struck a nearby pillar, the structure falling just above the child._

" _No!"_

"Sapphire..!" Sapphire gasped, sitting up as she turned to look at Archie. "I-I'm sorry, sir..! I-" Archie lifted a hand, shaking his head. "Say no more. We're here. Come, we have much to discuss." Sapphire nodded, following him off the submarine. She looked ahead with her head high, taking a deep breath as they entered a cave entrance. Sapphire looked up at Archie, frowning a little as the vision replayed in her head. There must be a way to stop it from happening.

The two went further into the cave, heading down stairs that finally ended in a large room. The room was filled with stalactites and stalagmites that practically blocked the only path. At the far end of the room was a hole, a slight shimmer coming from it as they approached. As they got closer, Sapphire gasped at the sight. It was a statue of a large, whale-like Pokémon, big enough to destroy gems as big as Diamonds and as small as Pearls. Archie's eyes lit up as he approached the edge of the hole, grinning. "At last, I've found it!"

"Is that..?"

"This is it, Sapphire..! This is the mighty Kyogre! How 'bout that?! That beautiful form so long resting at peace within the azure sea! Nothing can be better than this moment now." Archie chuckled until the grin on his face started to fall, replaced by a frown. "Well, there's one thing." Sapphire stepped back, holding her hands to her chest as she brought up the courage to ask. "And what would that be…?"

"Justice…"

"Pardon?" Archie turned to Sapphire, holding up the Blue Orb in his left hand. It glowed faintly, the light reflecting off his anchor necklace. Sapphire gulped, noticing the glow in his eyes as well. She took a deep breath, watching him step forth. "Why?"

"Why..?"

"Why did you go and ruin his life, Sapphire? He was a free man, sailing the seas with no care until you interfered! He got himself caught because he went back to fix the mess YOU made!" Sapphire stepped back to get away, backing into a stalagmite. "Wait, listen. I had nothing to do with Archibald's fall, I swear! I was here several years ago with Rose Quartz to stop Homeworld gems from taking over. There were many Rubies and Sapphires there that day. What makes you think I was the one who ruined his life?"

"That folder I showed ya? It's gone. No coincidence that it went missing after I showed it to ya." Sapphire bit her lip, shaking her head. "What are you saying? That I took it?" Archie nodded, placing the Orb in his right hand. "Oh, I know ya did. Now, give them back." Sapphire looked down, shaking her head. She needed to get that Orb away. "I… I don't-"

"Archie!" Sapphire turned to the cave entrance as Shelly ran into the room, skidding to a stop to catch her breath. "Shelly..?!" Shelly stood tall, catching her breath as she yelled at Archie. "That's enough! Can't you see that the world you dream of and the world that Kyogre will create are two completely different places?!"

Sapphire stared in surprise, eye wide. She wasn't sure how the Admin knew of Kyogre's true power, but at least she wasn't alone. "Shelly… I always believed that you at least would understand my dreams…" Archie muttered, starting to turn away. Now was her only chance! Sapphire got to her feet and jumped forth, grabbing the Orb the best she could. A sudden jolt of pain shot through her body, a strong force pushing from it as she's thrown across the room. "Sapphire!" Shelly shouted, running over to help her up. "Oh my gosh, are you alright..?"

"I-I'm fine… Thank you, Shelly… But I fear the worst… Why couldn't I grab that Orb…? Unless… I know what happened to her…"

"Argh, you little brat..!" Archie shouted, pulling Sapphire's attention to him. She gasped in shock, covering her mouth as she noticed the blue glow in his eyes. "I get what you're tryin' to do now! Tryin' to prevent past mistakes! You know what caused the mistake in the first place?! You interferin'! Guess what? There won't be any mistakes this time!" Sapphire snarled, standing up as she tucked her bangs away in the bandanna. "Archie, please listen! I know you blame me for what happened to Archibald, but you must believe me when I say it wasn't me! I'm trying to stop you from making the same mistake HE made!"

"The only mistake he EVER made was trusting you. I won't make ANY mistakes!" Archie turned to face Kyogre, holding the Orb high above his head. "In the end, the only one I can depend on is you, Kyogre! Absorb all the power resting in this Blue Orb, and reclaim yourself! Revert to your primal form! This is the time to take back the great Evolution you lost in the ancient past!"

"Archie, no!" Sapphire shouted, throwing a hand out to stop him, but it was too late. A bright light flashed, flooding the room as Sapphire and Shelly shielded their eyes. The statue started to break in place, pieces falling off into the water until Kyogre was free. He let out a cry before turning his gaze up and creating a vortex of water around itself, disappearing within. Archie grinned, chuckling under his breath until he threw his head back and cackled.

"At last… AT LAST! I've finally done it! It hasn't even finished reversion, and it still has this much power! With this I can return everything to its natural beginning! It's time at last!" Sapphire gasped, shaking her head as she stared at the pool of water where Kyogre was residing just moment ago. "No… No, no, no… No, this can't be happening… No! How did I not foresee this?! I could've stopped it!"

"Archie… What have you done?" Archie turned to face them, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes glowed a bright blue. "I told you there would be no mistakes, Sapphire. I told you." Shelly shook her head, grabbing Archie by the arm as tears started to appear at the corner of her eyes. "Archie, you idiot! What have you done?! Do you realize what you're doing?! By awakening Kyogre, you've sent Hoenn into a never ending rainstorm!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Shelly. I know what I-" Archie stopped himself as he pulled out an earpiece, placing it in his ear. "What is it…? Oh? The great deluge has begun." Archie grinned, cackling. "But of course it has! This is exactly what I have-" The grin was replaced with a frown once again, this one showing concern. "What…? What do you mean far more than we thought..?! It can't be… Then… If it completes its Primal Reversion… N-Never mind that! Just keep an eye on it!"

"Archie! What's going on outside?!" Archie shook his head, holding the Orb close. "All that matters is… That I have used the Blue Orb to awaken Kyogre… And now… I will return this world to its natural state… The state that is best for Pokémon!" Sapphire shook her head, stepping forth as tears appeared. "You're wrong, Archie! Kyogre's Primal Reversion will make him too powerful to control! He'll drown all of Hoenn with this rainstorm!"

"You have no right to speak to me like that, Sapphire. You only joined this team to gather information. To discard any and all proof that you were responsible for my ancestor's downfall." Sapphire growled, pointing at the Orb. "You want the gem who ruined that damn pirate's life?! Well, there she is! In your hand! She's been with you since you took her from Mt. Pyre!"

"Sapphire, what-"

"Let me speak, Shelly!" Sapphire took a deep breath, containing her anger. "300 years ago, Ruby and I met Archibald and an admiral. We took the Orbs from them and tried to destroy them for good. Instead, we were poofed. I see now what happened to the Orb. I'm guessing while it did not break, it cracked on impact with the ground and somebody placed the Sapphire's gem shards in place. She's been trying to reform all these years. She-" Sapphire cut herself off, gasping when she remembered the situation. "Matt… He's in danger… Everybody is..! We have to hurry!" Archie and Shelly looked at each other, nodding as Archie ran ahead. Shelly took Sapphire's hand and nodded to her as they ran after their leader. "Let's hurry! I just hope we're not too late!"


	12. Sootopolis City

Sapphire stared through the window as the submarine surfaced over the ocean, gasping at the sight. The sky was dark with clouds, rain pouring down upon them. Sapphire could hear each drop of rain hit the window with a loud thud, worry starting to build up at the thought of the window getting destroyed from it. "Oh my gosh…" Sapphire looked at Shelly, seeing the worry on her face. "It's awful out there…"

"I tried to warn you…"

"This… This is…" Sapphire looked at Archie as he approached the window, staring in disbelief. "I… I only wanted… I wanted to make... a world where Pokémon could live on… I-In peace…" Sapphire frowned, shaking her head as she placed a hand on his arm. "I tried to warn you. I tried to warn all of you. This is what Archibald tried to do years ago. Sir, I do hope you're happy. You've awoken Kyogre. Your job is complete."

"This isn't what any of us wanted, Sapphire. Please, we need to stop him." Shelly pleaded, watching Sapphire turn away. "I don't know if I can. I foresee many outcomes, most of which are not good. I doubt we can stop such a force. I only had a single mission in mind. Come here, check on the remaining gem inhabiting this Region, and go home. I know what became of one of those gems, but…" Sapphire looked down, removing the glove from her right hand. "I couldn't touch her. If I can't do that, how am I expected to stop her?"

Archie glanced at the Orb, brows furrowed as he placed a hand on Sapphire's shoulder. "Sapphire, I… Look, I'm sorry. Just… Please tell me you're not the same Sapphire from before. The one who ruined Hoenn and my ancestor's life." Sapphire sighed, shaking her head. "This is what I meant. I told you that I'm not and you didn't listen." Archie frowned, turning Sapphire to face him as he took her right hand. "I know what you told me, but I want your honest word. Look, I know I did an awful thing, but I'm going to fix my mistakes because staying mad at me won't do it. Just tell me the truth or else Arceus forbid that I poof you."

"Archie-"

"Don't try to defend for me, Shelly." Sapphire muttered, looking up at Archie as she brushed her bangs away. "I promise you that I am not the same Sapphire that ruined everything. That's my honest word." Archie grinned, patting Sapphire's shoulder as he chuckled. "Then allow me the honor of apologizing for my accusations." Sapphire nodded, looking down at her gem. "Let's find Kyogre before it gets worse."

"Sir!" Sapphire and Archie turned to attention to Shelly, staring as she pointed up. "Look!" The two craned their neck to look at the sky, watching the clouds clear up suddenly. "What's going on..?" The sun shone brightly, suddenly beating down upon the team as the grunts removed their bandannas to wipe sweat from their foreheads. "It's gotten so hot… What's going on?"

"Maxie.. He must've awoken Groudon some time ago. Meaning we've got less time than we think we do." Archie looked at Sapphire, holding the Orb close as he got on one knee to be at eye level with her. "We need to find out where they're heading. Any ideas, Sapphire?" Sapphire looked down, placing a hand under her chin and she frowned. "Well… If I remember correctly, Groudon and Kyogre were always at war with each other. If we find Kyogre, we'll find Groudon. I don't kno where we'd find them, though."

"I do." Archie stood up and called out to the grunts. "Set coordinates for Sootopolis City! Shelly, you and Sapphire will go ahead to meet us there!" Shelly nodded, grabbing a Pokéball from her belt. "Sootopolis City? Why there, sir?" Sapphire asked as she approached Shelly. "There's some things Archibald did after you left the Region, one of them was visiting the city to meet with a colleague, I believe. I'll explain more when we get there. Now, go."

"Yes, sir." Shelly said as she tossed the Pokéball, letting out a Pokémon similar to the one Matt had before Sapphire got in the submarine. "Let's hurry." Sapphire nodded as she climbed onto the Pokémon with Shelly, hanging on with both hands. "To Sootopolis City, Crobat!" The Crobat cried out, flapping its wings as it took to the skies. Sapphire looked up at Shelly as the Crobat glided across the sky, seeing the look of concern on her face. "You're worried."

"Archie worked so hard to get this far and I should've learned of everything sooner. I should've found out what was going on and stopped him." Shelly muttered, a slight shake in her voice. Sapphire placed a hand on her arm and shook her head. "It's not your fault. I should've warned him as well, but I didn't want to be caught. Steven and Connie would be ashamed of me if they knew what Ruby and I were doing."

"Stone?" Sapphire shook her head, looking down. "No. A different Steven. He… He's somebody I care about. Somebody back home waiting for me. I have to finish what I intended to do here before I can go back home." Shelly nodded, placing an arm around her as the Crobat started to go down. She smiled at her, crouching over the gem as rain started to pelt down upon them. "We'll get this over with and you'll be home to Steven in no time. I promise, Sapphire."

"Cro!" Sapphire looked down as Crobat dove towards a mountain with a large crater in it, a small town coming into view. Just nearby in a large pool of water was Kyogre, facing off what she assumed was Groudon. The Crobat swooped down, avoiding the two Legendaries as he landed nearby. Sapphire and Shelly hopped off, staring at the two beasts in concern as the sky cleared up. "We have to do something. We simply can't wait for Archie to arrive."

"There's nothing we really can do until he arrives. We have to wait." Sapphire frowned, closing her eye. The only thing she could see was darkness. Surely, it wouldn't come down to that, would it? She shook her head, trying to find a solution, but none came to her. "Shelly, there must be something we can do..!"

"There isn't.. We have to- Sapphire..?!" Shelly placed a hand on Sapphire's shoulders, staring with wide eyes as the gem shook. "We have to..! There must be something..! Because all I see is darkness..! If we wait, that's all we'll have..! Please, we must think of something..!" Shelly frowned, looking at her Crobat before pointing ahead at Kyogre. "Crobat, Poison Fang!" Crobat cried out and swooped ahead as Sapphire watched, shutting her eye as it got close. She saw the sky growing dark once again, but something red was falling from the sky. Something that cried out until she saw the red gem on its hand. "Ruby…"

"Where is your leader?" Sapphire opened her eye, looking up as a man with red hair walked up to them, holding a Pokéball in his hand. "Who are you?" Shelly stood behind Sapphire, holding her close as she glared. "Maxie. He's the Leader of Team Magma. Archie said you woke Groudon." Maxie nodded, sighing as he held a hand out. "Yes, but I see the error in it now. I'm here to stop it. My best grunts are coming with my Admins to stop him. Now, where is Archie?"

"Right here." Sapphire turned again, watching Archie approach with the grunts behind him. She was surprised she didn't hear the submarine surface. "You woke Kyogre, I see." Archie shook his head, sighing. "I didn't know he would do this. Listen, we need to set all differences aside. If we let them fight like this, they'll-" Maxie held up a hand, looking at Groudon. "I came here to propose that idea. Though, looking at it now, I don't know what to do."

"Surely, we have Pokémon that can defeat them. I just hope you didn't come alone, Maxie."

"I didn't, but I'm starting to wonder if sending her off on her on was a good idea." Sapphire's eye widen as she stepped forth. "You sent Ruby alone?! Why?! She could be lost or worse, she could be falling to her death right now!" Maxie held his hands up in defense, staring at Sapphire in surprise. "But she's a gem. She'll just reform, right?" Sapphire shook her head. "Not if she doesn't know where she'll land! Where is she now?!"

"Sir, up there! There's something falling!" Sapphire looked up as a grunt pointed, gasping as a Crobat was diving down after a Magma Grunt. It was Ruby! "RUBY!" Sapphire stepped forth, crouching down until Archie placed a hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?" Sapphire looked up, keeping her eye on Ruby as she gritted her teeth. "I'm going to save her! I'm going to save my Ruby!" Sapphire jumped up, letting herself float up to Ruby as he called out again. "Ruby!" She held her arms out, fighting back tears until Ruby was close enough for her to wrap her arms around her. She looked down at Ruby, holding back sobs. "Sapphire?"

"You're ok! Ruby, you're ok!" Sapphire cried out as she held Ruby close, lowering herself to Sootopolis slowly. "Thank goodness you're ok!" Ruby held on as the two landed near the edge of water that surrounded the town, holding her close. "I saw you fall from the sky and I-I panicked..! I thought I was going to lose you!" Sapphire sobbed, clinging to Ruby as the two fell to their knees. "Sapphire, look at me. Don't cry. Please. I-I… I'm sorry, I couldn't stop Maxie. He… He wouldn't listen to me and… I couldn't grab the Orb." Sapphire sniffled, rubbing her face as she looked up at Ruby, shoving her bangs away.

"I couldn't stop Archie, either..! We came here as soon as possible when… When Maxie appeared and I thought the worst..! I thought he did something to you!" Ruby shook her head, wiping Sapphire's tears away as she kissed her forehead. "I'm here now. That's all that matters. I'm safe." Sapphire nodded, resting her head under Ruby's head as she tried to calm down. "We have to stop them."

"Ruby!"

"Sapphire!" The two turned as Archie and Maxie ran over, eyes wide as they skidded to a stop. "Sapphire, don't do that again..! You had us frightened..!" Sapphire looked at Archie, frowning as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir. I had to save her. I can't lose her. I can't lose Ruby. I-" Sapphire gasped as Ruby screamed, staring at the sky as rain pelted down. "There's no time. We have to stop Kyogre."

"Ruby." Ruby looked at Sapphire, taking her hands as they looked at one another. "We have to stop them. Together." Ruby nodded, looking her in the eye as she rested her forehead against Sapphire's. "We need Garnet." Sapphire nodded, wrapped her arms around Ruby. "Let's do this, then." Ruby picked up Sapphire and held her close, pulling her into a kiss as the two were enveloped in light, fusing them together. The two team leaders raised an arm to shield the light from their eyes, staring in surprise as a new person stood in place.

"Members of Team Aqua and Magma, Garnet is back in business!"


End file.
